| Term | Definition |
| abaft | on or towards the rear of a ship |
| abandon | to leave behind, to give sth up |
| abase, abasement | to humiliate |
| abdicate | to renounce, to abandon, to reject |
| abbreviate | to shorten |
| abeyance, in abeyance | a state of temporary suspension or inactivity: su dinh lai, tam thoi o ap dung, e.g. since the power failure, the town has been in abeyance |
| abject | of the worst or lowest degree, e.g. The Haldemans lived in abject poverty, with barely a roof over their heads |
| abhor | to hate, e.g. the dog abhorred cats, chasing and growling at them whenever he had the opportunity. |
| aberrant | abnormal, e.g. the aberrant behavior led his friends to worry the divorce had taken its toll |
| abjure | to give up, to renounce, to abdicate, to abandon. e.g. the losing team may abjure to the team that is winning |